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 We dropped our incredibly...  We dropped our incredibly scuzzy pump and box off at Howe Performance for hotrodding. Howe thoroughly cleaned the pieces in a media blaster, removed the teardrop reservoir from the pump, and magnafluxed the box case and sector shaft to make sure they weren't cracked.  Our modified pump on the left...  Our modified pump on the left now puts out 3.5 gph, up from 2.0 gph, and has AN inlet and outlet fittings. The stock pump on the right has a little more fluid capacity than the stock Saginaw teardrop reservoir, but neither comes close to matching the capacity of the Howe remote reservoir.  Here's our box (right) after...  Here's our box (right) after magnafluxing, a full rebuild, and having the flow at the control valve increased. The -6 and -8 AN fittings on the top of the box are for the inlet and outlet. The -6 AN fittings on the side at the control valve go to the ram. Howe machines off the casting that covers the lower bolt holes so you can put nuts on the back for extra strength.  If you don't want to have...  If you don't want to have your stock pump hotrodded, you have other choices. From left to right are Howe's TC pump that puts out 3.5 gph, its High Volume "Trophy Truck" pump that puts out 6.5 gph, and the remote reservoir with and without the spin-on filter.  The ram for our system is...  The ram for our system is the 2-inch-bore mutha on the bottom. Our system required an 8-inch stroke, but Howe can make it shorter if you need. The 1 1/2-inch bore ram on top doesn't require as much fluid and, therefore, is more responsive during quick emergency maneuvers. It's the choice for the weekend warrior that sees a lot of street driving. Box Mount
Sure it's true that ram assist will take some of the load off your steering-box mount, but if you've cracked or broken yours you should fix it right. Here's how we did ours.  We decided to box the frame...  We decided to box the frame at the mount, then run 1-inch DOM tubing through the frame to the box-mounting holes. We first drilled out the mounting holes in our frame to 1 inch.  Next, we cut out a 3/16-inch...  Next, we cut out a 3/16-inch reinforcement plate for the back of the frame. We rough-cut four lengths of tubing and stuck them through the frame and marked where they touched the reinforcement plate, then drilled the corresponding holes in the plate.  Before welding anything, we...  Before welding anything, we bolted the box to the tubing with the reinforcement plate on the back of the frame. When everything looked good, we tacked it in and removed the box before making final welds. Monster Tie Rod
Since we run 350 pounds of wheels and tires on the front axle and were attaching a very powerful hydraulic ram to the tie rod, we couldn't have just any old piece of tubing up there. We contacted Clifton Slay of Avalanche Engineering and simply told him what we were doing, what our tie rod measurement was, and that we wanted to use 3/4-inch rod ends. What we got was a monstrous piece of art that could bend, but we don't want to be around if it does.  The 3/4-inch QA1 rod end is...  The 3/4-inch QA1 rod end is dwarfed by the rest of the Avalanche Engineering tie rod. It is 1 1/2-inch DOM tubing sleeved with 1 3/4-inch DOM that's fully powdercoated. We've seen axletubes that aren't this beefy.  Since our steering arms were...  Since our steering arms were tapered for tie rod ends, we needed to drill them out to 3/4-inch for the rod end bolts. Rather than use a regular 3/4-inch drill bit that grabs and jerks the drill out of your hands, we used a 3/4-inch countersink bit. It not only self-centers as it cuts, but it chews through steering arms like butter.  Here's our Avalanche Engineering...  Here's our Avalanche Engineering tie rod with the Howe ram installed. When installing the ram you need to make sure it doesn't hit anything on your frame, axle, or suspension. Ideally the ram will operate parallel to the tie rod and not at an angle. Otherwise, the stroke of the ram won't equal the stroke of the tie rod. The result can be funny steering. Getting Hosed
After mounting our pump back on the motor and hanging the steering box off its new mount, we fabbed a bracket for the steering reservoir and measured for hoses. One of the best places around for fittings and high-quality hose is Orme Brothers. Joel Orme had our hoses built with various straight, 45-, and 90-degree Aeroquip high-pressure fittings in a matter of minutes. Orme does mail order too, so you can sleep well knowing your hoses were built minutes after you hanged up the phone.
Driving It
We've heard horror stories about degraded steering input, loss of road feel, and quirky handling characteristics as the result of ram-assist steering systems. We experienced absolutely none of these. While we can now turn the wheel with one finger whether in the rocks or in the driveway, the truck still straightens out after a turn when you let go of the wheel, proving that the ability of the steering box to self-center is not affected. Driving at highway speed feels as sure as before, but you don't install a system like this for street driving. Off road with both 38- and 42-inch tires, steering couldn't be easier. We haven't been able to bind up the steering no matter how tightly we get the big truck wedged. In fact, we've found that the 2-inch ram is powerful enough to move the front of the Dodge sideways when the front tires are squeezed and the wheel is turned. Our Avalanche tie rod has held up to this abuse, as well as being bashed into a few big rocks without the slightest hint of being bent, and the rod ends are still nice and tight.
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360 Swan Song
With the new 5.7L Hemi engine on the horizon packing 345 hp and 365 lb-ft, the original 8-year-old...
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